1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing apparatus for a color copier or color facsimile and so on, particularly an image processing apparatus or method to process digital color image information.
2. Description of the prior Art
An image reproduction apparatus which reads optically an image of an original to obtain color image information, processes the color image information and reproduces the image of the original is well known. In this image reproduction apparatus, the image processing is conducted prevailingly for a digital image signal in separated plural processing circuits which are provided for individual colors, for example, primary colors, Blue Green and Red (in some cases, including black color). Accordingly, the image processing apparatus requires electronic circuit extremely complex and of large capacity.
This problem was a bar to use the image processing apparatus in an economic copier or facsimile.
On the other hand, in a simple image processing apparatus the image processing is conducted for a two-valued image signal. However, such an image processing apparatus has a disadvantage that the image processing is limited to only few items, for example, enlargement and reduction because the two-valued signal can not contain so much image information.